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Republic of Iraq: 1959-1963

image by Mark Sensen

Description of the Flag
Coat of Arms

See also:

Index of All Iraq Pages

Description of the flag

The flag of Iraq that was adopted a year after the revolution of July 1958 was vertical black, white, green. In the white band an eight-pointed star with a white circle in the centre, and in the circle a yellow circle (the sun?). It was in use from 1959 to 1963 (Alexander and Smith, 1992 ). Ratio 1:2.
Jaume Ollé

The flag of the first republic, instituted by Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Qassem had, besides the black and green Pan-Arab colors, the so-called "Sun of Mesopotamia", which supposedly represented the Kurdish (yellow core) and Christian-Assyrian (red rays) minorities. That flag was proclaimed by the three-person presidency of the first republic (Majlis Al-Siyedeh) because Gen. Qassem never assumed the presidency himself and remained only as prime minister. The Majlis Al-Siyadeh was composed of one Sunni, one Shi'a and one Kurdish member.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 4 May 2003

Coat of Arms of the First Iraqi Republic

image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán

The coat of arms is made of a rising sun, charged with a ring that bears two scimitars.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 29 July 2000

Details

image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán

At the top of the ring between the points of the scimitars there is the name of the country Al-Jumhuriyaht Al-Iraquiyaht (The Iraqi Republic)).
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 29 July 2000

image by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán

Between the scimitar handles, at the bottom of the ring, there is the date when the Republic was established, 14 July 1958 (14 Tamuz 1958)
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, 29 July 2000

The coat of arms was introduced on 14 July 1959, exactly one year after the revolution, and was in use until 1965.
Ralf Stelter, 8 January 2001